While some parts of Manitoba didn’t receive any precipitation during the week, the wettest location was Manitou in the central region with 41.3 millimetres of precipitation. Richer in the eastern region was not far behind at 39 mm. Since May 1, most growing areas of the province had at least 35 per cent higher-than-normal amounts of precipitation.

Spring wheat quality in Manitoba was the highest in the northwest and Interlake regions at 80 per cent good to excellent. The central region’s spring wheat crop was 75 per cent good to excellent, while eastern Manitoba was at 70 per cent and the southwest region was at 65 per cent. Spring wheat development ranged from anthesis to hard dough, while most oat and barley crops were in the milk stage.

Most corn crops were in the V8 to V10 stages with the most advanced fields beginning to tassel. Fall rye was in the late to dry dough stages with harvest to start at the end of July at the earliest. Most winter wheat stands were in the hard dough stage while some showed crop maturity and dry down.

Warm temperatures accelerated flower blast for canola as the earliest seeded fields were starting to fill pods. Varied planting dates and excess moisture have caused sunflowers to range from late vegetative to early R2 growth stage. Most flax fields were in the first to full flower stages with overall conditions rated good, except for fields saturated with water.

Field peas were in the R3 and R4 stages, but fields in the central and eastern regions were faring poorly due to excess moisture. Hot humid conditions led to rapid growth in soybean crops, which are now in the R1 and R2 stages. Iron deficiency chlorosis could still be found in some fields, but most have recovered.

First-cut harvest of alfalfa fields was completed by 90 per cent of dairy producers in the eastern region, with 35 per cent completing a second cut. Some are using grass intended for hay as bale silage. Beef producers were progressing with first cut of tame hay stands, but low-lying areas still need time to dry. Yields for hay stands were good, but quality remained a concern with rain showers preventing hay from becoming dry. Some tame hay fields are producing two to 2.5 tonnes per acre. Meanwhile, corn silage fields are faring well in hotter temperatures while in the V8 to V10 stages.

Alfalfa was in the flowering stage as pastures for livestock were in excellent condition. Grassy areas have grown well, cattle pairs are in excellent conditions and bulls have been placed with cows. However, producers were still on the lookout for foot rot and pink eye. Water supplies were plentiful with dugouts 95 per cent full.

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The Canadian Crop Hail Association (CCHA) said in a report the organization’s member companies were investigating approximately 1,000 claims of crop damage from storms occurring between June 23 and July 1.

“Numerous early season storms have resulted in a number of claims for the industry,” CCHA Chairman Scott McQueen of Palliser Insurance said in a statement. “Cereals have generally fared better as many were hit in the grassy stages of development and minimal damage to the plant was caused with environmental conditions being favourable so that crops that were hit by hail are able to recover.”

Eleven communities in Alberta and 14 more in Saskatchewan were impacted by the storms. Crops damaged were barley, canola, cereals, chickpeas, corn, dry beans, flax, lentils, mixed grain, mustard, oats, oilseeds, peas, pulses, sugar beets and wheat. There were no claims reported in Manitoba.

Companies contributing to the report were Rain and Hail Insurance Service, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, Palliser Insurance, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation and Municipal Hail Insurance.

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Fall rye stands were in the soft dough stage, while winter wheat heads have fully emerged and flowered as fungicide applications were completed. Winter cereal crop conditions were rated as good. Meanwhile, oats and spring wheat were at three leaves to stem elongation and barley was at three leaves to awns emerging. In the Central region, some cereals were in the flag leaf stage while some barley and spring wheat were heading out. Corn was in the V4 to V6 growth stages.

Canola growth stages ranged from rosette to bolting, with the earliest fields in the Central region already began flowering. Cotyledon and rosette/cabbaging stages were reported in canola fields in the Interlake and Eastern regions. Sunflowers were in the V6 to V8 growth stages while flax were in growth stages four and five.

Some field peas flowered in the Central region while those in the rest of the province were in the eight- to 10-node stages. Cotyledon to second trifoliate growth stages were reported in soybeans, whose development was delayed due to wet weather and cooler temperatures. Dry beans were in the first to second trifoliate stages, but iron deficiency chlorosis has started to appear in some fields.

First-cut harvest of alfalfa fields were completed by 60 per cent of dairy producers in the Eastern region but beef producers were waiting for drier weather to do so. Hay stands were maturing but access to fields were made difficult due to the rains. As a result, a large amount of feed may become harvested round bale silage this year. Haying has started in the Swan Valley region. Grasses and forages were growing well, bromes and ryegrasses were heading and alfalfa was in the middle of flowering.

Cattle, as well as pastures were in excellent condition, while dugouts and irrigation pounds were fully replenished in most areas.

The wettest location during the week was in Austin in the Central region at 79.8 millimetres, while The Pas in the Northwest region saw no precipitation during the week. All weather stations across Manitoba have received normal to above-normal amounts of precipitation since May 1. In the Eastern region, 10 per cent of acres remained unseeded, while seeding ranged from 65 per cent complete in the north Interlake to 95 per cent in the south Interlake.

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Crop conditions across the province were rated at 72.9 per cent good to excellent, better than the five-year average of 68.8 per cent and the 10-year average of 70.2 per cent. The central region had the best rating at 78.2 per cent, followed by the Peace region at 75.7 per cent and the south region at 73.9 per cent, all above both historical averages. The northeast region was at 70 per cent, below its averages, while the northwest was in line with its average at 61.8 per cent.

Dry beans, which were only accounted for in the south region, had the best rating at 95 per cent good to excellent. Flax (83.9 per cent), potatoes (83.5 per cent) and lentils (83.3 per cent) were not far behind. The province’s mustard crop was rated at 79.1 per cent good to excellent, while dry peas were rated at 77 per cent. Barley and durum were both at 76.4 per cent, while spring wheat was at 76.2 per cent. Crop growth stages were behind for spring cereals in all regions except in the Peace region. Chickpeas (73.6 per cent), oats (71.5 per cent) and canola (64.8 per cent) rounded out Alberta’s crops.

While most areas of Alberta were already dealing with excess moisture, many received at least five to 10 millimetres of precipitation during the week. Much of the Peace region and parts of the central and south regions had 30 to 80 millimetres. Frost and hail were reported in much of the province while snow fell in the south region.

Provincial surface soil moisture was rated 76 per cent good to excellent compared to the 59 per cent five-year average and the 63 per cent 10-year average. The northeast region had the best rating at 85.4 per cent good to excellent, while the south was the driest at 66.6 per cent. Provincial sub-surface moisture was rated at 61 per cent good to excellent, compared to the five-year average of 54 per cent.

Tame hay conditions in Alberta received a rating of 75.4 per cent good to excellent, ahead of the 58.2 per cent five-year average and the 61.2 per cent 10-year average. The northwest had the best rating at 84.7 per cent while the south was the worst at 68.6 per cent. Pasture conditions were rated at 75 per cent good to excellent provincially, 20 points better than five years ago. The northwest region was at 84 per cent good to excellent, while the south was at 68 per cent. All regions far exceeded their five-year averages, but 12 per cent of the Peace region was considered to have heavy pasture weed growth.

The consensus among all regions was that an extended period of heat and dryness would be needed to improve crop growth.

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Seeding advanced five points to 97 per cent, compared to the five-year average of 100 per cent, according to the province’s weekly crop report released on June 18. Corn and field pea planting were 100 per cent complete, while spring wheat seeding was at 99 per cent complete. Barley and oats were at 98 per cent, soybeans were at 97 per cent and canola was at 96 per cent.

Additional acres were being planted in areas with excess moisture with some re-seeding occurring. Herbicide applications were ongoing and insecticide was needed to hold off flea beetles. Hail and strong winds caused some crop damage in some areas.

Winter wheat development was from boot stage to full head emergence, while fall rye was from full head emergence and flowering to beginning of seed fill. Spring cereals ranged from three to five-leaf stage and tillering to flag leaf, while corn ranged from V2 to V6.

The earliest grown canola has started bolting, but some re-seeding was required due to flea beetle damage. Sunflowers were in growth stages V3 and V4, while the most advanced flax was in growth stage four, the start of leaf spiral.

Most field peas were in the six to eight node stages. The most advanced soybeans were in the second trifoliate stage, while dry beans were in the first.

Good moisture has allowed hay and pasture fields to grow rapidly, but would benefit more from warmer weather. Bromes and ryegrasses were tillering to heading, while alfalfa was in late bud to mid-flower. Alfalfa stands were 20 to 24 inches tall in the southwest region and up to 28 inches in the central region along with tame hay. Some farms have finished first cut of alfalfa for silage, with initial yields in eastern Manitoba below average due to overwintering damage and cooler spring temperatures. Leaf hoppers started to appear in fields in the southwest.

Most cattle were on pasture and breeding season has begun on some farms. While dugouts were full, producers were trying to limit fly numbers and were looking for pink eye and foot rot.

Tornadoes touched down in western Manitoba near Rivers, Baldur and Swan Lake First Nation on June 12 with winds up to 113 kilometres per hour recorded. Fork River in the northwest region received the most precipitation during the week at 54.8 millimetres, while the driest was Gardenton in eastern Manitoba at 7.8 mm.

Most areas have exceeded 150 per cent of normal precipitation during this growing season with the central region receiving the most. The two wettest locations in Manitoba this season were Winkler (216 mm, 208 per cent normal precipitation) and Eden (208 mm, 216 per cent). The three driest were Moosehorn (96 mm, 105 per cent), Deloraine (97 mm, 108 per cent) and Elma (114 mm, 105 per cent).

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Seeding was 32.5 per cent complete for major crops in Alberta as of May 14, compared to 15.7 per cent one week earlier. While the rains hindered planting progress in the eastern half of the province, the moisture will benefit crops in the long-term. Meanwhile, northwestern Alberta and the Peace region saw little to no rainfall, but seeding there continued its rapid pace.

Planting in the south region was the most advanced at 50.2 per cent complete, up 13.5 points from last week. The Peace region gained 22.4 points at 40.7 per cent, while central Alberta was at 29.5 per cent, up from 14.1 per cent the week before. Northwest Alberta completed 21.9 per cent of its seeding compared to just 3.9 per cent the previous week, while planting in northeastern Alberta has fallen behind the most at 18.9 per cent, up from 2.7 per cent seven days earlier.

Alberta’s dry pea crop completed 62.1 per cent of seeding, compared to 44.9 per cent for spring wheat, 32.6 per cent for barley, 15 per cent for oats and 14.9 per cent for canola. Emergence of major crops was at six per cent, compared to the five- and 10-year averages of three per cent. In southern Alberta, emergence was at 15 per cent.

Except for the Peace region, the recent precipitation helped replenish surface soil moisture across Alberta, rating 71.8 per cent good to excellent, better than the previous week’s figure of 58.1 per cent and above the five-year (58 per cent) and 10-year averages (63 per cent). Surface soil moisture in northeastern Alberta was at 88 per cent good to excellent, up 12 points from last week, while the Peace region was at 42 per cent, down six points from the week before.

As for subsoil moisture, the province was rated at 58 per cent good to excellent, 58 per cent at around the five- and 10-year averages. While southern Alberta made the biggest improvement at 14 points, only 50 per cent was rated good to excellent compared to 71 per cent in the northeast.

Pasture growth conditions were rated 53.3 per cent good to excellent across the province, up from the 46.4 per cent five-year average. Central Alberta was rated the highest at 60 per cent, while the northwest went from zero per cent to 33 per cent in one week. Conditions in the Peace region were the worst at 31 per cent.

Tame hay conditions were four points better than the five-year average at 47 per cent good to excellent with the best in central Alberta at 67 per cent and the worst in the Peace region at 31 per cent.

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In total, 32 per cent of intended acres were seeded so far this spring, according to the Saskatchewan government’s weekly crop report released on May 16. One week earlier, seeding across the province was only 12 per cent complete.

However, the five-year average is 54 per cent and the 10-year average is 45 per cent.

Saskatchewan’s southwest region planted the most at 45 per cent, while the southeast was at 36 per cent. The northeast region completed 26 per cent of seeding, while west-central Saskatchewan was at 23 per cent and the east-central region was at 22 per cent. Central and southern regions advanced from five per cent on average the previous week to 26 per cent the week after.

Field peas lead the way with 53 per cent of acres planted, followed by lentils at 50 per cent. Chickpeas (39 per cent), durum (38 per cent) and spring wheat (36 per cent) were more than one-third finished. Other crops planted were barley (30 per cent), mustard (24 per cent), oats (22 per cent), canary seed (19 per cent), triticale (18 per cent), canola (17 per cent), flax (12 per cent), perennial forage (11 per cent) and soybeans (eight per cent).

The most rainfall was reported around Richmound in the southwest at 59 millimetres, followed by Avonlea and Leader both receiving 48 mm.

Cropland topsoil moisture was reported at four per cent surplus, 86 per cent adequate, nine per cent short and one per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture was two per cent surplus, 81 per cent adequate, 16 per cent short and two per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture conditions were two per cent surplus, 78 per cent adequate, 17 per cent short and two per cent very short.

Early seeded crops have started to emerge while other growers have applied herbicide as heat and rainfall caused weeds to appear. Cattle were being moved out to greening pastures.

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After opening in late-March, grain shipments through the end of April of about 1.14 million tonnes were up by 25 per cent from the same time the previous year and were 11 per cent ahead of the five-year average, according to a news release.

Meanwhile, shipments of Western Canadian potash were roughly quadruple what moved the same time in 2023. Terminals in Thunder Bay loaded out 157,656 tonnes of potash in April, which compares with 35,693 tonnes the previous year. Canada is the world’s largest exporter of potash. Thunder Bay, the only export port on the Seaway for potash, handles shipments moving to Europe, North Africa, and South America.

A total of 61 vessels have called on the port to-date, which compares with 44 the previous year.

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As of March 1, the northern third of the province, as well as the southwest corner and south-central region of Saskatchewan, were projected to have well below-normal runoff.

A major snowstorm which brought up to 45 centimetres in central and southern regions of the province on March 2 and 3 helped to slightly improve conditions. Areas surrounding Saskatoon and west of the city, as well as locations in the southeast along the Manitoba border, will see near normal runoff. However, as of March 4, the province’s snowpack remains below-normal to well below-normal.

“Although the recent snowfall will help our situation and our producers this spring, we as a government will still be prepared to help those areas with dry conditions,” Minister Responsible for Water Security Agency David Marit said. “More moisture will be needed as temperatures continue to stay above zero. WSA will still be taking as many proactive measures as possible to prepare for changing conditions.”

However, dry conditions persist in southern parts of Saskatchewan. Localized water supply shortages are possible in the south-central this spring and the WSA has enacted conservative operating plans at most major reservoirs since last winter.

Despite the dry conditions, most reservoirs in the southern half of the province are at or above normal water levels. However, the report cited the Avonlea, Altawan and Cypress Reservoirs as those which could see lower levels due to the small snowpack.

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With the exception of the northeast corner of Manitoba, the entire Prairie region was considered to be abnormally dry (D0) or worse, including the whole agricultural landscape. All three provinces in the Prairies had areas of extreme drought (D3), while parts of southeastern Alberta were under exceptional drought (D4). By comparison, only 60 per cent of the Prairies and 78 per cent of agricultural areas were abnormally dry at the same time last year, with no areas under D3 or D4.

Only the Peace River region in Alberta and parts of southern Manitoba received less-than-normal amounts of precipitation. However, long-term precipitation deficits, poor water supplies and a small snowpack hindered relief. Normal amounts of precipitation in February for most areas in the Prairies range from 10 to 20 millimetres.

Severe (D2) and extreme drought expanded in Alberta over the past month, especially in northern and central areas. However, there was a small improvement to drought conditions in southern Alberta. Currently, 51 river basins covering more than half of the province’s agricultural land are experiencing critical water shortages. The Oldman and St. Mary’s Reservoirs are at less than half of normal levels at this time of year, while municipalities in the southwest have trucked in water because of low levels.

Saskatchewan received below-normal precipitation in northern parts of the province, but also had above-normal levels in remaining areas. However, above-normal temperatures and exposed soils losing moisture through evaporation and freeze-drying will ensure dry conditions in the short-term. The South Saskatchewan River, which feeds into Lake Diefenbaker, is at its second-lowest level in 23 years. Lake Diefenbaker, currently at water levels two metres below normal, provides water to nearly 70 per cent of the province’s population.

Much of southern Manitoba only received 40 per cent of normal precipitation in February and most of the province experienced mean temperatures up to four degrees Celsius above normal. Areas under D2 in southwest and south-central Manitoba expanded while a small area was downgraded to D3. Precipitation from last fall helped alleviate some dryness, but a small snowpack this winter may worsen conditions.

In Canada, 71 per cent of the country was abnormally dry or worse, including 85 per cent of agricultural areas.

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